President's Post

September 2018

President's Post

September 2018

We are getting ready for our mid-term town hall meeting. At this mid-term time we have issues that need to be taken seriously and be attended to. I will explain in this post what we will attempt to do this year regarding our upcoming Constituency Session planned for 2021.

I spent a weekend up in Jackson MS with a potential pastor who met with the Ridge on Friday evening then preached at College Drive and the Ridge on Sabbath. Then he returned to College Drive to do a meet and greet. Everything went well with our churches, but the pastor also has to agree to come. After the meetings were done, he and his wife returned home to pray and tell us on Monday if they felt God was calling them. The churches were excited about the possibilities and were also praying. On Monday the potential pastor called me and said he was not going to be coming. Now I believe in God’s will in moments like this, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you it’s also very disappointing for me and the church. Now this happened about a month ago, and in hind sight I see the wisdom of God in this decision and am encouraged as I am planning on bringing another potential pastor this coming weekend. Brian is out this coming Sabbath bringing another potential pastor to a district. God is so good to us!!

I can tell you God’s Spirit is in our churches and I trust in His leading and His timing. We are in good hands when we are in the palms of our Lord.

Brian Danese, Martin Fancher and I finished meeting with our pastors for the third quarter. We had great conversations and many times their wives joined us. We talk about the plans that they have fulfilled and plans they have for the fourth quarter. The cooperation from our pastors has been inspiring to all of us. I know that God is honored by their work ethic. Right along with our pastor’s effort is our local church elders and other leaders that make the local church, big or small, be as effective as it can be. I know personally what happens in the local church when we all work together. It’s simply amazing!!

All Administrators and Departmental leaders are busy in the office writing a synopsis of their departments for the upcoming GSC Today. I have just completed mine. We are planning on the next GSC Today to be dedicated to a paper Town Hall meeting. Because we are halfway through our quinquennium we will provide information on our conference that we believe you will find interesting. Now we have a new idea regarding town halls. As well as the GSC Today publication we will be doing a live town hall meeting online on November 29th at 6:30 pm. Please put this in your phone calendar right now. We will make presentations regarding Administration and our Departmental Leaders will give taped messages from their perspective regarding their department. Our plan is to give you the ability to ask us questions. If we don’t have time to cover the questions live we will answer them in the next GSC Today in February.

One item that is of utmost importance for us to discuss is the number of delegates our churches send to our Constituency Session. We can only make this change at our 2021 Constituency Session for the following quinquennium’s. We need to understand what will happen if we don’t reduce this number. The last thing we want is to not get a quorum and all of our plans and expense end up being for nothing. Without a quorum we cannot meet or vote anything. We would just dismiss everyone and go home. Immediately following this disappointment would be plans to have another Constituency Session and again hope and pray that a quorum shows up. We have the opportunity to put the delegate count at a number that will reduce the possibility of this ever happening and remain fair to all of our churches. To make this change together is definitely the prudent thing to do. Elder Fancher will be presenting how we are suggesting these changes take place. You do not want to miss the opportunity to hear the discussion regarding this important issue.

Friday, Nov. 30th, 6pm to Sunday, Dec. 2nd, 10am

Camp Alamisco Road

AL

President's Office

The President guides the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church here at the Gulf States Conference Office in Montgomery, Alabama. He serves on various organization boards operated by the church, and lends leadership to mission, evangelism, educational, and humanitarian strategies.